Twine machine for the production of curl-yarn



Jan. 9, 1968 H. HOFSTETTER 3,362,148

TWINE MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CURL-YARN Filed July 20, 1965 lnvem'ar: HERMANN HOFSTETTER ATToR Eys United States Patent ()fiFice 3,362,148 TWINE MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CURL-YARN Hermann Hofstetter, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Sulzer Brothers Limited, Winterthur, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed July 20, 1965, Ser. No. 473,303 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 24, 1964, 9,690/ 64 3 Claims. (Cl. 57--34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The rovings are fed in a downward direction through the heating device to spools while flows of conditioned air are directed upwardly substantially in counterflow to the rovings in order to cool the rovings after emergence from the heating device. The cooling of the rovings below the heating device serves to reduce the number of yarn breaks in a processed yarn.

The invention pertains to a twine machine for the production of curl-yarn of continuously spun single filaments especially of yarns which have become known under the designation Helanca. In a specific form of construction of twine machines of the present kind, the roving consisting mainly of smooth single filaments is taken from a delivery spool at each twisting place. The

roving then is led over a suitable turn-buckle (stretching or clamping device) and vertically downward between two pairs of clamping rollers. A chamber-like heating device is located between the two clamping rollers in the route of the yarn wherein the yarn material is heated to a suitable temperature. Beneath the heating chamber and before the second pair of clamping rollers the yarn passes through a mock wire spindle; the spindle is driven at a relatively high number of revolutions and imparts the desired twist to the thread in the heating region. This twist is fixed upon cooling of the yarn outside the heating device but is again reversed at the passage through the mock wire spindle whereby the loops of the single filaments then originating in the yarn impart the desired elasticity and fullness to the yarn.

For an unobjectionable operation of machines of the present kind it must be presupposed that the air along the route of the yarn is held at a suitable condition in respect to temperature and humidity as is the case for other textile machines, for example, spinning frames and weaving machines. The task of this air conditioning consists primarily in leading off surplus heat from the room and holding the temperature and humidity at suitable steady values which are coordinated to the working process. It is the rule that excess heat almost always has to be drawn oil from the room.

For the production of curl-yarns by twine machines the procedure up to now was to direct conditioned air into the machine room in the usual manner, namely, by way of distribution conduits arranged in or at the ceiling which conditioned the air to the desired temperature and humidity; the circulating air determined for reconveyance to the preparation plant being exhausted from the sidewalls or from the floor region of the machine room. However, the known and described arrangement is not capable of satisfactorily fulfilling the tasks meant to be carried out thereby. The cooler conditioned air, being downwardly directed, is very rapidly mixed with the ascending warmer air of the room. Consequently, this results in relatively high air temperatures in the region of the machines below the heating device which counteract the rapid cooling and heating of the yarn and also makes the maintenance of sufiicient humidity impossible. Furthermore, this results in very unfavorable working conditions for the servicing personnel on account of excessively increased air temperatures in the respective zone and insufiicient removal of vapor which is produced by the yarn heating.

The invention makes it possible to eliminate the described disadvantages to a great extent. It is characterized by an air outlet device in the bottom region of the machine which blows conditioned air upwards, contrary to the route of the yarn which is essentially running from above to below in the region of the heating and revolution zone.

A twine machine according to the invention may expediently use an air outlet device with at least an exhaust slit running lengthwise of the machine for the conditioned air. It is furthermore recommended to arrange the outlet opening for the conditioned air in such a manner that it is directed towards a pair of clamping rollers which is situated between a swivel head and a winding-on device.

The invention and other characteristics and advantages in connection with the invention are more explicitly explained below by means of examples of embodiments illustrated in the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a cross section through the twine machine according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a section through a machine room equipped with twine machines built according to the invention.

The twine machine shown in FIG. 1 has an upright 11 (column) with beams 12 (holders) arranged at each side on which roving spools 13 are held. The machine is symmetrically designed through its vertical central plane. A yarn 14 consisting of jetspun single filaments is drawn from the roving spool 13 and conducted through the yarn brake 15 and through the clamping roller pair 16. Thereafter, the yarn enters the heating device 17. This heating device consists of a sheet metal box 19 equipped with heating insulation 18 in which a heating pipe 20 with an electrical heater (not shown) is provided for each yarn. The yarn leaves the respective heating pipe at the bottom side of the heating device 17 and passes through the free air space to the mock wire spindle device 21. Yarn is then piloted through a thread guide 22 and a further pair of clamping rollers 23 and arrives at the winding-on device 24, where it is wound up, for instance, to a cross coil 25. The mock wire spindle device 21 gives the yarn the twist between spindle 21 and the pair of clamp rolls 16 which is fixed by the heat of the heating device and subsequent cooling. After exiting from the mock wire spindle device the twist disappears; instead loops are produced in a known manner in each individual thread which imparts to the yarn its high elasticity and also its bulging volume.

In the bottom region of the machine there is, accord ing to the invention, an air exhaust device 26. This consists of a metal box with sidewalls 27 and 28, the bottom 29 and the lid 30. The lid 30, together with the sidewall 27 and 28, constitute slots 31 and 32 running lengthwise of the machine. The air exhaust device, in a manner not shown, is connected over a feeding conduit to air conditioning equipment of general manufacture which channels conditioned air under increased pressure to the inside of the exhaust device 26. The conditioned air, that is, the air prepared for a suitable temperature and humidity, passes through the slots in the direction of the arrows 33 and 34 obliquely upwards. The exhaust device in this way blows the conditioned air upwards and in opposition to the route of the yarn which runs from above to below in the region of the heating and twisting zone. The slots 31 and 32 which extend over the complete length of the machine are preferentially arranged in such a manner 3 that the exhausted conditioned air is directed toward the pair of clamping rollers 23 as shown.

Under the influence of the conditioned air channeled into the region between the pair of clamping rollers 23 and the heating device 17 a rapid cooling of the yarn is obtained to such a degree that a notable reduction of thread ruptures is achieved. The temperature in this region may simultaneously be enormously decreased and the relative humidity thereby increased as compared to the customary conditioned air inlet in the region of the ceiling. Furthermore, during heating of the yarn, oil-like substances evaporate from its surface as is generally the case for the decrease of electrostatic charging. These vapors ascend into the stream of the injected air wtih the ascending mixed air current from the region of the machine and thus can no longer be bothersome for the servicing personnel. In this manner a temperature process and an air condition are obtained which signify an enormous improvement for the yarn processing as Well as for the servicing personnel.

The machine room 41 of FIG. 2, shown in section, contains machines 42 and 43 of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1 which are installed on both sides of the main aisle of the room. The air outlet devices 44 and 45 are respectively arranged in the bottom region of each machine through which conditioned air passes in direction of the arrows 46. In the left half of the room, as viewed in the drawing, the air flows in an unrestricted flow to an outlet duct 47 arranged centrally on the ceiling and which is provided with an inlet opening 48. In the right half, as a further form of embodiment, a transverse duct with openings 49, is arranged above the machine 43 through which the exhaust air can reach the central duct 47. Such a transverse duct is assigned to each further installed twine machine over the depth of the machine room.

From the exhaust duct 47, the air reaches, in a manner not shown, into duct 50 and from there over openings 51 into the chambers 52 and 53 where conditioners 54 and 55 are respectivel installed. These conditioner are connected with a fresh air source through the conduits 56 and 57, respectively. The air exhausted from the machine room is worked up to the desired condition in the conditioners 54 and 55, if necessary by mixing with fresh air, in respect to temperature and humidity by suitable cooling, dampening, and heating devices. The prepared air then reaches over the conduits 58 and 59 and air outlet devices 44 and 45 of the twine machine. A single air conditioner is capable of providing one or a number of twine machines with conditioned air.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated examples of operation. It is, for instance, also applicable to such machines in which the yarn having an initial genuine twist is heated and cooled so that it is fixed in a twisted condition and then, in a further working process, is

turned back so that the yarn is turned back with the formation of loops in the single filaments. Furthermore, the air outlet device could be provided with additional outlet openings for the conditioned air. Also, instead of the slots as shown in FIG. 1 there can be individual openings distributed in the topside of the equipment. It is also pointed out that the air channeled to the air outlet device can also be conditioned only in respect to temperature or to humidity in such a way that only one of these variables remains unchanged.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for twisting yarn, comprising a frame;

a yarn supply means mounted in the upper portion of said frame for feeding yarn downwardly within said frame;

a heating device below said yarn supply means for heating a fed yarn passing therethrough;

a mock wire spindle device below said heating device for imparting a twist to the fed yarn;

means below said mock wire spindle device for receiving the twisted yarn; and

an air outlet means in the lower portion of said frame for blowing conditioned air upwardly towards said heating device in opposition to the direction of feeding of the heated yarn.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air outlet means includes a box having a lid, and at least one slot disposed lengthwise of said lid for passage of the conditioned air therethrough towards said mock wire spindle device.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for receiving the twisted yarn includes a pair of clamping rollers for directing the twisted yarn from said mock wire spindle device and a winding on device for spooling the yarn directed from said clamping rollers, said air outlet means being positioned below said clamping rollers to blow the conditioned air obliquely upwardly towards said clamping rollers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,943,433 7/1960 Van Dijk 5734 3,050,819 8/1962 Allrnan et al. 5734 3,091,908 6/1963 Carruthers 5734 3,166,881 1/1965 Servage S7-157 FOREIGN PATENTS 959,969 6/1964 Great Britain.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner.

\V. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner. 

